Method and system for portioning workpieces using reference shape as a directly controlled characteristic

ABSTRACT

A method and system are provided for automatically portioning workpieces, such as food products, by simulating portioning the workpieces in accordance with the one or more desired shapes of the final piece(s) as a directly controlled physical characteristic (parameter/specification) as well as one or more resulting indirectly controlled physical characteristics (parameters/specifications). The desired shape(s) of the final piece(s) are defined by a plurality of manipulatable reference coordinates. A workpiece is scanned to obtain scanning information, then portioning of the workpiece is simulated in accordance with the desired shape(s) of the final piece(s) defined by the directly controlled reference coordinates, thereby to determine the one or more indirectly controlled physical characteristics of the one or more final pieces to be portioned from the workpiece. The simulated portioning of the workpiece is performed for multiple combinations of directly controlled shapes as defined by the modified or edited reference coordinates and indirectly controlled physical characteristics until an acceptable set of a directly controlled shape and resulting one or more indirectly controlled physical characteristics is determined.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to processing workpieces such asfood products, and more specifically, to portioning workpieces intopieces, while also considering the desired shape of the portioned piecesas a directly controlled characteristic.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Workpieces, including food products, are portioned or otherwise cut intosmaller pieces by processors in accordance with customer needs. Also,excess fat, bone, and other foreign or undesired materials are routinelytrimmed from food products. It is usually highly desirable to portionand/or trim the workpieces into uniform sizes, for example, for steaksto be served at restaurants or chicken fillets used in frozen dinners orin chicken burgers. Much of the portioning/trimming of workpieces, inparticular food products, is now carried out with the use of high-speedportioning machines. These machines use various scanning techniques toascertain the size and shape of the food product as it is being advancedon a moving conveyor. This information is analyzed with the aid of acomputer to determine how to most efficiently portion the food productinto optimum sizes. For example, a customer may desire chicken breastportions in two different weight sizes, but with no fat or with alimited amount of acceptable fat. The chicken breast is scanned as itmoves on an infeed conveyor belt and a determination is made through theuse of a computer as to how best to portion the chicken breast to theweights desired by the customer, with no or limited amount of fat, so asto use the chicken breast most effectively.

Portioning and/or trimming of the workpiece can be carried out byvarious cutting devices, including high-speed liquid jet cutters(liquids may include, for example, water or liquid nitrogen) or rotaryor reciprocating blades, after the food product is transferred from theinfeed to a cutting conveyor. Once the portioning/trimming has occurred,the resulting portions are off-loaded from the cutting conveyor andplaced on a take-away conveyor for further processing or, perhaps, to beplaced in a storage bin.

Portioning machines of the foregoing type are known in the art. Suchportioning machines, or portions thereof, are disclosed in priorpatents, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,962,568 and 5,868,056, which areincorporated by reference herein. Typically, the workpieces are firstcarried by an infeed conveyor past a scanning station, whereat theworkpieces are scanned to ascertain selected physical parameters, forexample, their size and shape, and then to determine their weight,typically by utilizing an assumed density for the workpieces. Inaddition, it is possible to locate discontinuities (including voids),foreign material, and undesirable material in the workpiece, forexample, bones or fat in a meat portion.

The scanning can be carried out utilizing a variety of techniques,including a video camera to view a workpiece illuminated by one or morelight sources.

The data and information measured/gathered by the scanning devices aretransmitted to a computer, typically on board the portioning apparatus,which records the location of the workpiece on the conveyor as well asthe shape and other parameters of the workpiece. With this information,the computer determines how to optimally cut or portion the workpiece atthe portioning station, and the portioning may be carried out by varioustypes of cutting/portioning devices.

Automatic portioning systems of food products, such as boneless chickenbreasts, should be capable of cutting the products into uniform shape,weight, and other parameters as provided by their users. Oftentimes, theusers have finished samples that exemplify the users' particular needs,such as a sample having a desired shape.

Some conventional portioning systems use fixed forms to portion productsinto a specific shape. A form is like a cookie cutter that is used tostamp out a particular shape, and then the cut piece is trimmed to adesired thickness by various types of knives or other devices. The useof fixed forms is cumbersome, in that each form is usable to produceonly one shape, and thus many forms are required for producing variousshapes. Also, each form “stamps out” pieces only to a particular shape,without considering, for example, the resulting weight. Hand cutting isalso available for portioning food products into particular shapes, buthand cutting the products into both uniform shape and uniform weight isvery difficult.

Accordingly, a need exists for an improved portioning system, which iscapable of cutting workpieces to a specific shape, and of growing,shrinking, or otherwise altering the shape in order to achieve one ormore additional dependently related parameters such as weight.Preferably, such a portioning system permits a user to readily definethe particular shape, and other dependently related parameters, to whichworkpieces are to be portioned.

The general problem of workpiece portioning, and in particular foodworkpiece portioning, is to fit acceptable or desired portions intohighly variable workpieces and then cut them and at the same timeutilize as much of the food workpieces as possible. The workpieces to beprocessed, including food workpieces, vary in every dimension, haverandom defects, and have areas of fat and cartilage that must beavoided. The thickness varies throughout each workpiece in addition tothe average thickness varying from workpiece to workpiece.

Processors of the workpieces, for example meat workpieces, expect theportions to be of a narrow weight range, to maximize the number ofportions they can sell without dissatisfying anyone. Their customersexpect the meat portions to be of a specific shape or close enough to itwith a fairly narrow thickness range so that standardized processing canoccur, such as a cooking process that will yield uniformly cooked meat.If the meat is to be placed in a bun, it is expected that the plan-viewarea of the meat portion should be compatible with the bun rather thandisappearing inside or hanging over the bun excessively. Also, it isundesirable that large pieces of fat or cartilage or bone exist in aportion. Further, tears, holes, and other defects are unattractive in aportion as well. In addition, it is expected that the waste resultingfrom the portioning process is minimized.

These issues are sought to be addressed by the methods and systemsdiscussed below.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the step ofsimulating portioning of the workpiece according to the shape of thedesired final piece(s) as a directly controlled physical characteristicand calculating the one or more resulting indirectly controlledcharacteristics of the one or more final pieces to be portioned isrepeated for multiple combinations of the one or more directlycontrolled shape characteristics. Each such combination is rated basedon how closely the combination achieves the desired one or more directlycontrolled shape characteristics and/or the one or more indirectlycontrolled characteristics. In this regard, one or more algorithms areused to select potentially acceptable one or more directly controlledshape characteristics until an acceptable level of one or more directlycontrolled shape characteristics and one or more indirectly controlledcharacteristics are determined.

In another aspect of the present invention, each combination is ratedaccording to an optimization function as applied to one or more of theone or more directly controlled shape characteristics and one or moreindirectly controlled characteristics, with the optimization functionrating of the one or more directly controlled shape characteristics andone or more indirectly controlled characteristics related to thedeviation of the one or more directly controlled shape characteristicsand one or more indirectly controlled characteristics from an idealcharacteristic level or range.

In a further aspect of the present invention, a weighting factor can beimposed on the one or more directly controlled shape characteristics aswell as the one or more indirectly controlled characteristics.

According to a still further aspect, the present invention permits auser to define a desired (reference) shape(s) into which the workpiecesare to be portioned, by identifying a plurality of reference coordinatesof the desired reference shape(s). Further, the user is allowed to editthe positions of some or all of the reference coordinates to define arefined or modified shape(s) template to be used in further processing.To this end, the user can interrupt the normal operation of theautomatic portioning system at any time to edit the desired shape(s).The desired shape is stored in computer memory and subsequently used tocontrol the downstream cutting/portioning equipment of the portioningsystem to cut the workpieces into the desired shape. Alternatively, thereference shape(s) or modified shape is automatically edited by theoptimization function being used. Simultaneously with the editing of thereference shape or the modified shape, the optimization function iscapable of moving the reference/modified shape(s) about the workpiece toachieve a best fit of the reference/modified shape(s) on the workpiece.The end result is achieving final pieces of desired shape and otherdesired directly controlled physical characteristics of the finalpieces, as well as desired indirectly controlled physicalcharacteristics of the final pieces.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of thisinvention will become more readily appreciated by reference to thefollowing detailed description, when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a system suitable for use in performing a method ofthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a routine for evaluating the effectsof cutting to certain specifications on the final productcharacteristics, which are not directly controlled by the portioningprocess, prior to performing an actual cut, according to a furtheraspect of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a sample simulated screen shot, displayed on a monitor of theportioning system according to one embodiment of the present invention,defining a shape cutting path in a connect-the-dots model;

FIG. 4 is a sample simulated screen shot of a shape cutting path, whichhas been modified from that shown in FIG. 3, by including a notch intothe shape of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 illustrates a method of calculating the conformance between areference shape and actual position shape;

FIG. 6 is a screen shot of a reference shape defined by a plurality ofreference coordinates and a shaping algorithm;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a routine for evaluating the effectson indirectly controlled parameters or specifications of a workpiecebased on selected directly controlled shape parameters or specificationsprior to performing an actual cut, according to another aspect of thepresent invention;

FIG. 8 illustrates a graphical user interface that may be employed withthe systems and methods of the present invention, including thatillustrated in FIG. 7; and

FIGS. 9A through 9F illustrate several of the hundreds of iterationsthat a cost minimization algorithm performs in a very short time span inseeking a best fit of final pieces defined by reference points on a workpiece.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

With respect to the terminology used in the present application, for themost part, the word “parameter” is used to refer to a physicalcharacteristic or feature such as length, width, thickness, weight orcolor. Also for the most part, the word “specification” refers to aparticular parameter value or range, such as a length of between 110 and120 mm, a weight that is no more than 30 grams, or the color blue. Also,in accordance with the present application, a specific instance of aparameter will have a value; the value may or may not lie within aparticular specification. In spite of the foregoing, it is within thescope of the present application to intermingle the use of the word“parameter” with the use of the word “specification.” For example, ifthe word “specification” is being utilized, this word should beinterpreted broadly enough to also encompass the word “parameter,” andvice-versa. Also, in the present application, the word “characteristic”shall be a generic term that refers to “parameter” and/or“specification.”

Also, as is apparent in the present application, the term “portion” (asderived from a workpiece) has the same meaning as the terms “piece” or“final piece” or “portioned piece.”

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a system 10 suitable for implementingone embodiment of the present invention. The system 10 includes aconveyor 12 for carrying a workpiece 14 or “WP” to be portioned thereon,a scanner 16 for scanning the workpiece 14, and a cutter 18 forportioning the workpiece 14 into one or more pieces. Although a singularconveyor 12 is shown, multiple conveyors may be used with system 10. Theconveyor 12, scanner 16, and cutter 18 are coupled to, and controlledby, a processor 20. Generally, the scanner 16 scans in the workpiece 14to produce scanning information representative of the workpiece, andforwards the scanning information to the processor 20. The processor 20analyzes the scanning information to calculate an optimal cut path toportion the workpiece 14 into one or more desirable pieces. Then, theprocessor 20 controls the cutter 18 to portion the workpiece 14according to the calculated cut path.

As illustrated, the processor includes an input device 22 (keyboard,mouse, etc.) and an output device 24 (monitor, printer, etc.). Also,other processing tools or equipment 26 can be utilized in addition to,or in place of, cutter 18. Further, additional scanners 28 and 30 can beemployed to scan the workpiece and/or portions cut therefrom later alongthe processing line. The present invention is directed generally to asystem and method for cutting workpieces to a particular or approximateshape, while considering one or more other parameters (e.g., weight,length, width, height, etc.).

Describing the foregoing in more detail, the scanning system may be of avariety of different types, including a video camera (as discussedabove) to view a workpiece 14 illuminated by one or more light sources.Light from the light source is extended across the moving conveyor beltto define a sharp shadow or light stripe line. When no workpiece isbeing carried by the infeed conveyor, the shadow line/light stripe formsa straight line across the conveyor belt. However, when a workpiecepasses across the shadow line/light stripe, the upper, irregular surfaceof the workpiece produces an irregular shadow line/light stripe asviewed by a video camera directed downwardly at an angle on theworkpiece and the shadow line/light stripe. The video camera detects thedisplacement of the shadow line/light stripe from the position it wouldoccupy if no workpiece were present on the conveyor belt. Thisdisplacement represents the thickness (height) of the workpiece. Thewidth of the workpiece is determined by the width of the irregularshadow line/light stripe. The length of the workpiece is determined bythe length of belt travel that shadow lines/light stripes are created bythe workpiece. In this regard, an encoder 32 is integrated into theconveyor, with the encoder generating pulses at fixed distance intervalscorresponding to the forward movement of the conveyor.

In lieu of a video camera, the scanner 16 may utilize an X-ray apparatus(not shown) for determining the physical characteristics of theworkpiece, including its shape, mass, and weight. X-rays may be passedthrough the object in the direction of an X-ray detector (not shown).Such X-rays are attenuated by the workpiece in proportion to the massthereof. The X-ray detector is capable of measuring the intensity of theX-rays received thereby, after passing through the workpiece. Thisinformation is utilized to determine the overall shape and size of theworkpiece 14, as well as the mass thereof. An example of such an X-rayscanning device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,585,603, incorporated byreference herein. The foregoing scanning systems are known in the artand, thus, are not novel per se. However, the use of these scanningsystems in conjunction with the other aspects of the describedembodiments are believed to be new.

The data and information measured/gathered by the scanning device(s) istransmitted to the processor 20, which records the location of theworkpiece 14 on the conveyor 12 as well as the shape, length, width,thickness, size, outer perimeter, area, weight (typically by using apredicted density of the workpiece) and other physicalparameters/specifications of interest pertaining to the workpiece.Processor 20 can be used to determine and record these physicalparameters/specifications with respect to the workpiece as it exists onthe conveyor 12 as well as determine these physicalparameters/specifications for the workpiece or for portions cut from theworkpiece after further processing or after completion of processing.For example, if the workpiece 14 is in the form of a raw chicken breast,fish fillet, or similar workpiece, processor 20 can be used to determinethe size, shape, length, width, thickness, area, outer perimeter, andweight of the workpiece, or portions thereof, after cooking, whethersuch cooking is by steaming, frying, baking, roasting, grilling,boiling, etc.

As noted above, data concerning the desired workpiece, or portionparameters/specifications, as well as the effect on workpieces and/orportions of further processing, may be stored in the memory portion 34of the processor 20. The information stored in memory can readily beselected by user via user interface 22, for example, when changingproduct lines. For instance, the user may be processing chicken breastsfor a particular customer who may require specifications for theportions to be cut from the chicken breasts. When the order for thatcustomer is filled, the user may switch the mode of the computer to meetthe specifications of a different customer. The switch may be automatedand triggered by a counter that keeps track of the number of productportions that have been processed, or the switch may be carried outmanually to allow the user time to retool any apparatus or recalibratethe equipment.

The system 10 can be used to process (e.g., portion) workpieces 14according to the present disclosure. In this regard, the decisionprocess in determining where to locate desired portions on a workpiececan be thought of in terms of directly controlled physical parameters(and specifications) and indirectly controlled physical parameters (andspecifications). For example, in algebra, Y is said to be a function ofX or Y=F(X). The directly controlled physical parameters(specifications) are the independent variables, such as “X.” Theindirectly controlled physical parameters (specifications) are thedependent variables, such as “Y,” and result from the input of thedirectly controlled physical parameters (specifications). In the contextof the present invention, directly controlled physical parameters(specifications) represent actions that occur when the workpiece isprocessed, e.g., portioned or sliced. Having made cuts (or simulated thecuts) of the workpiece, the resulting portions have properties thatconstitute the indirectly controlled physical parameters(specifications).

In accordance with the present invention, it is possible to consider theeffect of meeting (or controlling) user-specified directly controlledphysical parameters (specifications) and other resulting physicalparameters (specifications) that are not directly controlled, prior tocutting. Specifically, the present invention further offers methods thatmay be used when a workpiece is being processed by cutting, trimming,slicing, etc., and it is desired that the resulting cut, trimmed,sliced, or otherwise processed product has particular characteristicsnot directly controlled by the cutting, trimming, slicing, or otherprocess.

Non-limiting examples of directly controlled physical parameters andspecifications include:

1. Portion specification(s):

-   -   Shape of the piece or portion;    -   Reference coordinates that define the shape of the piece or        portion;    -   Zoom range (size) of shape in one-dimension of the        two-dimensional shape of the piece or portion;    -   Zoom range (size) of shape in the other dimension of the        two-dimensional shape of the piece or portion;    -   Zoom range in two dimensions (size) simultaneously (enlarge or        decrease size of shape of the piece or portion).

2. Positioning (location) of portion to be achieved from workpiece:

-   -   Cross belt (X direction) range of the shape of the piece or        portion relative to some references;    -   Down belt (Y direction) range of the shape of the piece or        portion relative to some references;    -   Angular orientation range of the shape of the piece or portion        relative to some references.

3. Number of pieces or portions to be achieved from the workpiece.

4. Angle of water jet cutter nozzles.

As noted above, the portioning and/or trimming and/or slicing of aworkpiece can be carried out by using high-speed water jet cutters.While most cutting with high-speed water jet cutters is carried out withthe cutters in a vertical orientation and thus disposed normally ortransversely to the workpiece, it is possible to use the high-speedwater jet cutters that are set at a fixed angle from vertical, oractively control the angles of the cutters from vertical. If the angleof the water jet cutter is actively controlled, then such angle would beone of the user-controlled parameters.

Examples of indirectly controlled physical parameters and specifications(properties of the portions where cutting, slicing, trimming, etc., hasbeen simulated):

1. Weight of the piece or portion.

2. Shape conformance of the cut, trim, slice, central portion, includingany natural edges.

3. Average thickness of the piece or portion.

4. Maximum or peak thickness of the piece or portion.

5. Roughness or flatness, as in variability of thickness of the piece orportion.

6. Length of the piece or portion.

7. Width of the piece or portion.

8. Size (length and/or width of the piece or portion).

9. Plan-view area of the piece or portion.

10. Amount of fat in the piece or portion.

11. Program errors.

12. Down-belt cutter travel required.

13. Holes, tears, concavity, bones, cartilage, etc., in the piece orportion.

It is to be understood that some of these examples of indirectlycontrolled physical parameters can also be utilized as directlycontrolled parameters, such as, for example, weight, size, length,and/or width.

In many applications where a combination of two or more physicalcharacteristics (or parameters/specifications) of the finished productare sought (e.g., shape, weight, size, length, width, etc.), it may bethat one or more of these characteristics are directly controllable, andothers are indirect results of the cutting, trimming, slicing, etc.,process. For example, in trimming of chicken breasts, the shape andweight of the resulting trimmed piece may be directly controllable, butthe thickness of the resulting piece may not be directly controlled, andthus may vary among multiple final products.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, where one ormore physical characteristics cannot be directly controlled and yet arethe results of controlling the directly controllable physicalcharacteristics, the directly controllable physical characteristics areselected so as to optimize the indirectly controlled physicalcharacteristics. Specifically, in circumstances where more than oneoption exists for values of the directly controllable physicalcharacteristics, and where a simulation can be performed to assess theresulting indirectly controlled physical characteristics prior toactually performing the cutting operations, then it is possible toachieve target values or ranges for all physical characteristics. Thepresent invention provides a method of accomplishing this, where theindirectly controlled physical characteristics are measured andclassified into one of several categories.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a general process of evaluating whateffects cutting a workpiece according to certainparameters/specifications will have on the cut piece's other physicalcharacteristics, which are not directly controlled by the cuttingprocess, to ensure that the final piece will have desirable indirectlycontrolled physical characteristics. In step 40, a user requests to cutworkpieces by directly controlling certain parameters (e.g., shape,weight, position, angular orientation, number of portions to be obtainedfrom the work product, etc.) so that they fall within one of multipleacceptable categories, such as by ensuring that one of multiplespecification requirements DS1, DS2, . . . or DSn is met. Further, theuser requests that the pieces cut to the specification requirements DS1,DS2, . . . or DSn need to have one or more resulting indirectlycontrolled characteristic(s) (e.g., thickness, weight, shape,conformance, etc.), IS1, IS2, . . . or ISn.

Then, for each scanned workpiece (block 42), in block 44, cutting theworkpiece according to one or more of the directly controlled physicalspecifications (DS1, DS2, . . . or DSn) is simulated, and the resultingindirectly controlled physical specification(s) is calculated. Forexample, cutting according to the specification DS1 (e.g., shape) issimulated, and the indirectly controlled physical specification (e.g.,thickness) resulting from cutting to the specification DS1 iscalculated. If an acceptable combination of DS1, DS2, . . . or DSn andIS1, IS2, . . . or ISn is found, then the acceptable combination may beselected as the combination according to which the subsequent cut is tobe performed. Various methods for selecting one combination arepossible. For example, it is possible to continue the simulation andcalculation process until the first acceptable combination is found.

Alternatively, a value function (or its negative/opposite, a costfunction) may be used to rank multiple alternative solutions. (Valueand/or cost functions are also referred to herein as optimizationfunctions.) According to this variation, cutting to the multiplespecification requirements (DS1, DS2, . . . or DSn, in this example) issimulated, and the resulting indirectly controlled physicalspecification(s) (e.g., thickness) are calculated for each simulationand compared to the acceptable indirectly controlled specification(s)(IS1, IS2, . . . or ISn). If multiple acceptable combinations exist, asuitable value function is used to select the most preferablecombination.

After the acceptable, optimal combination of DS1, DS2, . . . or DSn andIS1, IS2, . . . or ISn is found, then proceeding to step 46, theportioning system is used to perform an actual cut according to theselected combination of the directly controlled and indirectlycontrolled physical specifications.

As a further aspect of the present invention, each of thecharacteristics, i.e., parameters/specifications, both direct andindirect, can potentially have an acceptable range rather than just asingle acceptable value. It is possible to define a “cost” function thathas a value of zero at the center or other location of each range ofeach specification, with an increasing “cost” as the simulated values ofthe parameters deviate from the center or other location of thespecification range. Further, a weighting factor can be applied to the“cost” from each of the parameters. Finally, the “weighted costs” arecombined, such as by addition, to give a “total cost.” Thus, for eachcombination of the directly controlled physical characteristic andresulting indirectly controlled physical characteristic, there is asingle “total cost” amount associated with the simulatedcutting/trimming/slicing, etc., result. For example, if there are twodirectly controlled specification requirements, DS1 and DS2, and tworesulting indirectly controlled specification requirements, IS1 and IS2,and each as a weighting factor, the total cost might be calculated bythe simple equation: (Weight 1*DS1)+(Weight 2*DS2)+(Weight3*IS1)+(Weight 4*IS2). It is to be understood that the term “cost” asused herein refers to the negative or opposite of the word “value”discussed above. These terms are related in the sense that with respectto a particular specification, an increase in the “cost” corresponds toa decrease in the “value.”

The cost function definition could take almost any form, includingone-sided definitions where the characteristic can never be above orbelow a threshold, and the target (zero cost) value is something otherthan the middle of a range. An example of this exists from packagedgrocery goods where it is legally required that a container not containless than the labeled amount. However, it is clearly in the interest ofthe product producer to be as close as possible to the labeled amount.

Examples of three cost functions that can be used include:

1. The cost increases with deviation from the range midpoint, andcontinues increasing for parameter values beyond the range;

2. The cost increases from a deviation from the range midpoint, with“hard” limits (for example, large step function cost increase) at therange limits;

3. There is no cost associated with values within the range, with “hard”limits at the range limits.

The “total cost” number is used with a multi-dimensional optimizationtechnique, such as the “Gradient Descent” minimization algorithm, tofind an optimal choice of directly controlled parameters/specifications.Within a limited number of steps or iterations, it is possible to findthe optimal solution without having to consider all of the perhapsthousands of potential combinations of directly controlled parametervalues. Examples of non-linear algorithms similar to Gradient Descentinclude the Gauss-Newton method, the BFGS method, and theLevenberg-Marquardt method. Other algorithms or analysis methods thatmay be utilized in this regard include, for example, Nelder-Mead method,differential evolutions methods, genetic algorithms, and particle swarmoptimization. Of course, in the range of interest, linear algorithms andanalysis techniques can be used to arrive at an optimum choice ofdirectly controlled physical parameters

It is to be understood that in the above description of identifyingoptimum directly controlled and/or indirectly controlled physicalparameters and specifications, a cost function analysis has beenutilized. However, it is also to be understood that the negative oropposite concept of a value function could be utilized instead. In thiscase, a multi-dimensional maximization technique or algorithm would beutilized to arrive at optimal directly and/or indirectly controlledparameters/specifications.

There can be dependencies between/among the parameters that can beexploited to simplify the solution methods. An example of this is aspectratio, length and width, each being a parameter despite their obviousdependence. The user may only need to specify length and width ranges,with the aspect ratio being “worked out” in the software.

There are instances in which particular parameters are chosen asdirectly controlled parameters. Two examples are set forth below. Tosimplify the present discussion, the examples include only one portionto be derived from a workpiece and only one parameter/specification forthe portion.

As a first example, the primary method is to start with a specifiedshape as a directly controlled physical parameters and zoom the shape inor out in one dimension, such as width; zoom the shape in or out in asecond dimension, such as length; move the shape across the workpiece;move the shape lengthwise of the workpiece; and/or rotate the shape tovarious angles. Even though weight is one of the main physicalparameters that may be targeted, this analysis allows weight to be anindirectly controlled physical parameter, which depends on variousdegrees of zooming and moving about the workpiece to locate anacceptable thickness for the portion. This is considered to be anefficient analysis method.

An alternative methodology is to begin with a specified shape as adirectly controlled physical parameter, as further directly controlledparameters utilize weight, aspect ratio (ratio of length over width),movement of the shape up and down the length of the workpiece, movementof the shape across the width of the workpiece, and/or rotation of theshape to various angles. In the background, in a separate algorithm, thezoom (enlargement or reduction) on the shape is adjusted, until aspecified weight or weight range is achieved. In this alternativemethod, “zoom” is then an indirectly controlled physical parameter.

The shape of the desired portion(s) is often one primary, if not theprimary, directly controlled physical parameter sought to be achieved.In this regard, the overall shape of the workpiece can be determined, asdescribed above, by scanning the workpiece and then using the processor20 to analyze the data produced from the scanner 16. In this manner, itis possible to determine if the specified or reference shape of thedesired portion(s) can be positioned on the workpiece and what locationor locations are satisfactory in this regard. Moreover, a specifiedportion shape can be enlarged or decreased by zooming in and out in onedimension, such as width or length, or in both dimensions. In addition,the specified portion shape can be moved about the workpiece bothlaterally and lengthwise of the workpiece. Also, the specified orreference portion shape may be rotated about the Y-axis in an effort tobetter place the specified shape on the workpiece. In seeking to placethe specified shape of the portion on the workpiece, these stepsconsider the reference shape in its entirety, including the entire areaoccupied by the reference shape, as well as the outer perimeter andcontours of the reference shape. As will be appreciated, a significantamount of computer processing power is needed to carry out the foregoinganalysis at an acceptable speed.

Rather than considering the shape of the reference piece or portion as awhole in the foregoing analysis, an alternative is to define the portionreference shape by a few control coordinates or points located about theouter perimeter of the portion reference shape. FIG. 3 provides anexample of a reference shape of a portion defined by control coordinatesor points using a Cartesian coordinates system. In this regard, the X-and Y-coordinates of 48 points about the perimeter of the workpiece WPare defined. These coordinates can be displayed on a screen 60 displayedon monitor 24. The shape defined by the coordinates is shown in a shapewindow 62 of screen 60. Each of the coordinates can be numbered, and thefirst coordinate could be defined as the starting point. The unit orscale system used in FIG. 3 consists of millimeters. However, otherunits of measurement can be used, for example, inches. In addition,although the coordinate system of FIG. 3 is illustrated in terms of aCartesian coordinate system, any other suitable coordinate system mayalso be utilized, such as a Polar coordinate system.

The reference shape of FIG. 3, as defined by its control points orcoordinates, may be stored in the memory unit 34 of processor 20. Ofcourse, other reference shapes as defined by control points may also bestored in memory. As discussed herein, a plurality of shaped finalpieces may be portioned from a single workpiece or section of a singleworkpiece.

The user may choose to edit the control points of a reference shapeduring or before application of the thus modified reference shape to theworkpieces to be portioned. This editing may be as a result of acustomer change or preference in the shape of the final pieces, orperhaps may reflect the user's knowledge of the physical attributes ofthe current set of workpieces to be portioned.

The reference shape can be edited in a number of different ways. Forexample, the user can utilize the “Move This Point” icon 64 on thescreen 60, and select one of the points or coordinates, which will thenbe highlighted (see, for example, Point 7 highlighted in the example ofFIG. 3). The user may then utilize the arrow keys provided on a standardkeyboard, or use the mouse to move the selected point in the X-Y space.For example, pressing the “right” arrow key once will move the point inthe Plus-X direction by a certain increment; for example, 0.1millimeter, while pressing the “up” arrow key once will move the pointin the Plus-Y direction by a certain increment.

Alternatively, referring to FIG. 4, the user may select the X or Y valueof a reference point to be edited, and then simply type in a new valuedirectly onto the listing shown in screen 60 of FIG. 4. For example, theuser may select the X and Y values for points 20, 21, and 22 by, forexample, highlighting Section 70 on the screen 60, and then directlyentering new X and Y values to the listing. As the user enters such newvalues, the shape outlined in window 62 changes to correspond to the newX and Y values of these points. Once the editing of the reference shapehas been completed to the satisfaction of the user, the user may selecta “save this shape” icon 72, positioned on screen 60, to save themodified shape into memory 34. Of course, the program may allow the userto have the X and Y values automatically saved during the editingprocess. As noted above, a library of reference shapes may be stored inmemory 34, and such shapes may be edited by the user. In addition, it ispossible to create a new shape by defining the X and Y coordinates forall control points, for example, points 1-48 in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Although FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a reference shape defined by 48control points, it is to be understood that a fewer or greater number ofcontrol points may be utilized to define the reference shape. Forexample, as few as 3 points may be sufficient, depending on the shape ofthe desired final portion, or perhaps up to 10, 12 or even a largernumber of control points may be utilized if the final shape isrelatively complex. Of course, the greater number of control pointsutilized, the greater the processing capability would be needed to applythe reference shape to workpieces in a timely manner.

Once the reference shape has been edited, certain of the control pointsmay be accented. The purpose of such accented control points is tomodify the edited shape, for example by moving the accent points in orout. Such movement of the accent points is useful to modify the editedshape to accommodate the shape of the workpiece or to achieve one ormore other directly or indirectly controlled parameters, such as weight,thickness, or avoidance of undesired physical features (such ascartilage, bone, or fat) on the workpiece. The computer analysis systembeing used can move the accent points to fit the workpiece, as well asbased on other criteria.

Also, applicants have found that the use of reference coordinates todefine desired shapes of the final pieces makes it possible to readilychange the shape of the final pieces when fitting final pieces on aworkpiece. Sometimes a slight adjustment in shape will tend to be a muchbetter “fit” of the shape on the workpiece, while at the same timeavoiding tears, voids, cartilage, etc., in the workpiece. This resultsin a better yield from the workpiece.

As noted above, one of the identified indirectly controlled physicalparameters or specifications is the shape conformance of the final pieceto the initial reference shape; in other words, the extent to which theshape of the final piece deviates from the desired or ideal referenceshape. This information is also employed in the optimization analysisused with a cost or value function to analyze for optimal combinationsof directly or indirectly controlled physical parameters orspecifications. For “one dimensional” parameters or characteristics,such as weight, length, width or thickness, the deviation of theparameter or characteristic from a mid-point or defined zero cost pointis easily analyzed.

But, for the shape of the desired final piece, the deviation orconformance thereof from a desired reference shape is not as simplyanalyzed. However, there are numerous techniques for analyzing suchconformance or deviation. One such analysis may look at each of thecontrol points of the reference shape versus the location of thecorresponding control points of the proposed final shape once thereference shape has been adjusted into a modified shape and placed onthe workpiece at a potential, acceptable location. The deviation betweenthe control points of the reference shape and the corresponding boundaryor edge of the proposed final piece can be measured. In this regard, inthe example shown in FIG. 5, control point number 80A is located withinthe boundary of the proposed final piece 78 at corresponding location78A, and this distance deviation is noted. Correspondingly, controlpoint No. 80F is beyond the boundary of the perimeter of the proposedfinal piece 78 at corresponding location 78F. The distance that thecontrol point 80F is exterior of proposed final piece 78 is noted. Thisanalysis is carried out for all of the control points 30A-30H of thereference shape shown in FIG. 5. Moreover, this analysis also can becarried out at other locations along the perimeter of reference shape,such as at the unnumbered locations shown in FIG. 5. Thereafter, themean and standard deviation that the control points vary from thecorresponding location on the workpiece (potential final shape) iscalculated. These values may be used to determine whether the referenceshape being utilized is within an acceptable conformance range.

Another example of analyzing the conformance of the reference shape onthe workpiece includes calculating a Root-Mean-Square (RMS) errorbetween each of the reference points and the corresponding points on theproposed final piece. In this analysis the reference shape can beconsidered as a whole or perhaps be divided into sections, for instanceinto quadrants as shown in FIG. 5. Thereafter, for each of the referenceshape quadrants, the difference in the position of the control pointsrelative to the actual corresponding location on the proposed finalpiece is calculated. This difference can be readily calculated by usingthe X-Y coordinates of the position of each of the reference points asthe square root of the sum of the squares of X and Y errors. Thereafter,the square values of these distances are summed up and the sum isdivided by the number of corresponding points, and finally the squareroot of the quotient is taken as the RMS error value between thereference shape and the proposed final shape.

As an alternative to the foregoing analysis method, maximum RMS errorvalue allowable between the reference shape and a potential final shapemay be selected and used to define the acceptable shape requirements.Thus, unlike the previous described method, in which maximum RMS valuewas calculated based on an actual comparison between a reference shapeand a proposed final shape, in this alternative method, the maximum RMSerror value may simply be selected or predetermined by the user. Inessence, the acceptable shape requirement is being defined in terms ofthe percentage of the area of the final piece not conforming to thereference shape.

In another example, the acceptable shape requirements may be definedbased on a reference shape, by taking the perimeter of the referenceshape as providing the mean positional values and by further selecting astandard deviation value that defines acceptable deviation from the meanpositional values. In this example, a confidence limit may be defined interms of the standard deviation in each of various perimeter pointsalong the reference shape. The user can modify the allowable shapevariation by changing the confidence limit or the number of allowablestandard deviations. Of course, other methods of defining acceptableshape requirements based on a reference shape will be apparent to oneskilled in the art.

As discussed above, an optimization function in terms of a cost functionor a value function can be used to rank multiple alternative potentialfinal piece configurations portioned from a workpiece. Of course, theoptimization function can be applied with respect to the use of controlpoints in defining acceptable shapes for final pieces. In this regard,shape conformance can be one component in an overall optimizationfunction. With respect to a cost function analysis, a cost can beassociated with how far a proposed final shape deviates from a referenceshape using a conformance analysis, for example, one of the methodsdescribed above. In the cost function, a zero value can be ascribed tothe situation in which the proposed final portion shape matches thereference shape. As the proposed final shape deviates from the referenceshape, costs can be ascribed to such deviation whether in a linearrelationship or otherwise. Moreover, the cost function can also takeinto consideration whether the shape of the proposed final piece islarger than or smaller than the reference shape. In this regard, if itis important to have a minimum size or shape, the cost associated with aproposed final piece having a shape smaller than the reference shape canbe set at a higher cost in deviating from the reference shape in termsof the final shape being larger than the reference shape. In essence, aweighting factor is applied for proposed final shapes that are smallerthan the reference shape.

Of course, although shape may be a directly controlled physicalcharacteristic, indirectly controlled physical characteristics may alsobe of importance. For example, an indirectly controlled physicalcharacteristic might be the weight of the final piece, the averagethickness of the final piece, the maximum thickness of the final piece,the amount of fat in the final piece, the conformance of the shape ofthe final piece to the desired reference shape, etc. These indirectlycontrolled physical characteristics may also be considered in the costanalysis, and also be weighted in value, just as directly controlledphysical characteristics may be weighted in value. As such, as discussedabove, for each combination of shape as a directly controlled physicalcharacteristic and the resulting indirectly controlled physicalcharacteristic(s), a ‘total cost’ amount associated with the proposedfinal piece can be determined. Also, although this portion of thediscussion focused on a “cost” analysis, it is to be understood that theanalysis may instead be carried out in terms of a value function.

FIG. 6 is a further example of the present disclosure wherein a portionshape 100 is defined by six control points 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, and106. Straight lines are used to connect the control points, resulting inan irregularly shaped hexagon. A curve-fitting algorithm is thenutilized to interconnect the control points in a smooth reference shape.In the present example, the smooth reference shape lies beyond theexterior of the hexagon. The reference shape 100 is then applied toworkpieces. To this end, shape conformance rules are utilized that allowfor deviation from the shape 100 with a weighted cost function (or valuefunction) associated with such deviation. In this regard, thecoordinates of the control points can be moved relative to each other tothereby alter the reference shape. Also, the control points can be movedas a set about the workpiece in seeking a best fit of the modifiedreference shape on the workpiece. Driven by an optimization algorithm,the overall cost function being used is sought to be minimized as thecontrol points are moved relative to each other, as well as a set aboutthe workpiece. In addition to seeking to minimize the cost function dueto deviation of a proposed portion shape from the beginning or referenceshape, as in the examples discussed above, other specifications may alsobe considered in the optimization algorithm, including indirectlycontrolled weighted physical specifications such as weight, thickness,roughness, etc. Thus, the optimization algorithm typically will becomposed of selected directly and indirectly controlled physicalcharacteristics. Generally, these will be one component and oneweighting factor for each such directly controlled and indirectlycontrolled characteristic that composes the optimization function. Suchcomponents can be combined in an additive manner (e.g.,weight1*component1+weight2*component2), or in some other manner thatcombines the algorithm components in a manner to reflect importance,value, cost, etc., of the directly and/or indirectly controlledcharacteristics composing the optimization algorithm.

Moreover, various template rules may be utilized in addition to shapeconformance rules. These template rules can pertain to one or moredesired outer perimeter configurations of the portion piece. Thetemplate can be quite simple, for example, a desired length and widthor, as another example, a length range and a width range. As a furtherexample, the template can be in the shape of a bun or roll, and theproposed portion piece can be a chicken breast, a beef patty, a fishfillet, or other food product to be placed on or within the bun or roll.In addition, the bun can be of various shapes, for example, circular,square, oval, rectangular, etc.

For certain types of food items, including various types of sandwichesserved at fast food restaurants, it is desirable that the meat, poultry,or fish is visible, and even extend beyond the perimeter of the bun,roll, etc., so that the meat, poultry, or fish is not hidden inside thebun, roll, etc. On the other hand, it is not desirable if the meat,poultry, or fish extend too far beyond the perimeter of the bun, roll,etc. Examples of various shapes of buns and rolls are shown in U.S. Pat.No. 7,949,414, incorporated herein by reference. The '414 patent alsoshows various meat, fish, poultry, etc., items placed on the buns androlls illustrated. The '414 patent discusses various shape-basedconformance rules that may be applied to the portioned pieces relativeto coverage of the bun or roll by the portion pieces. Such conformancerules may be utilized with respect to reference shapes defined byselected control points in accordance with the present disclosure.

As noted above, perhaps one of the simplest executions of the presentmethod, the coordinates of the control points are moved about theworkpiece as a set, as well as relative to each other, by anoptimization algorithm in an effort to minimize the associated overallcost function being employed. Rather than utilizing only the movementsof such control points, applicants have found that acceptable solutionscan be facilitated by applying up to four additional directly controlledshape related parameters, including zooming of the shape (enlarging orreduction), rotation of the shape, and moving the shape as a whole inthe x direction and/or y direction. While simply moving the controlpoints directly can eventually achieve the same result as using theseadditional shape parameters, applicants have found that utilizing thesefour additional directly controlled shape parameters as a group oftenresults in reaching an acceptable solution more quickly. Of course, notall four additional directly controlled shape parameters need be used.Rather, one or more of these additional shape parameters may beemployed, such as zoom in the x direction or zoom in the y direction,rather than a single undistorted zoom in both the x and y directionssimultaneously.

Moreover, the optimization algorithm is capable of determining what newvalue for the reference points to try next to seek to minimize theoverall cost function. The optimization algorithm recommends new valuesfor each of the directly controlled physical parameters based onprevious values and upon the computed value of the cost function. With anew set of directly controlled physical parameters recommended by thealgorithm, the indirectly controlled physical parameters are calculatedand then a new cost function value is calculated using the directly andindirectly controlled physical parameter values. This new value is usedby the optimization algorithm to recommend another set of new values foreach of the directly controlled parameters. As will be appreciated, achange in the values of the reference points results in a change in thereference shape into a modified shape, as well as perhaps a change inthe location and perhaps also orientation of the modified shape on thework product.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating one example of a process or methodfor determining how to cut a workpiece based on shape of the portionedpiece as defined by control points as a directly controlled physicalcharacteristic to achieve desired one or more indirectly controlledcharacteristics (parameters or specifications) of the resultingportioned piece. Although the example pertains to cutting a workpiece,other processes may be applied to the workpiece, either in conjunctionwith cutting or in lieu of cutting, such as trimming the workpiece,slicing the workpiece, or performing one or more other operations on theworkpiece.

In step 120, a user requests to cut the workpieces by directlycontrolling the shape of the portion on the workpiece, or number ofportions to be derived from the workpiece, so that the resultingportion(s) meet the desired shape criteria.

In the process, in step 122, the user inputs the control points of thedesired shape of the portioned piece as directly controlledcharacteristics.

Next in step 124, the user inputs one or more resulting indirectlycontrolled characteristics IC₁, IC₂ . . . IC_(n) (parameters orspecifications) to be met by the portions that meet the desired shaperequirement.

Next at step 125, the user optionally identifies control points that canbe accented. These control points can be manipulated, for example, bythe processor, to modify the reference shape as needed to best fit thereference shape on the workpiece or to best achieve one or moreindirectly controlled parameters.

Next at step 126, the user inputs acceptable ranges or values for theconformance of the shape of the final pieces relative to the referenceshape. As discussed below, this can be performed using a graphical userinterface, for example, as shown in FIG. 8.

Next in step 128, acceptable values or ranges for the one or moreindirectly controlled characteristics IC₁, IC₂ . . . IC_(n) (parametersor specifications) are inputted.

Next in step 130, a conformance function can be assigned to the directlycontrolled shape parameter. Also, optimization functions can be assignedto the one or more indirectly controlled characteristics (parameters orspecifications). As discussed above, the conformance and optimizationfunctions can be in the form of a cost function. As an example, the costfunction can have a value of zero at the center of the range of eachspecification, with an increasing cost as the simulated value of theparameter in question deviates from the center of the specificationrange. Also, as discussed above, the cost function definition can takemany other forms, including one-sided “definitions” where parameters cannever be above or below a threshold value, and the target (zero cost)value is other than at the middle of a range.

Next at step 132, a weighting factor can be assigned to one or more ofthe costs of a parameter, thereby to establish that some cost factorsare more important or less important than other cost factors.

Then for the scanned workpiece (block 134), in block 136, simulating thecutting of the workpiece occurs according to the directly controlledshape parameter, and the resulting indirectly controlled physicalcharacteristics IC₁, IC₂ . . . IC_(n) (parameters or specifications) arecalculated or determined using, for example, processor 20. For example,cutting according to the shapes 108, 110, 112 and 114 shown in FIG. 9A,positioned on workpiece 116 is simulated and the indirectly controlledphysical parameter IC (e.g., weight) resulting from the cutting to thespecified shapes is calculated. This may be carried out by seeking tominimize the “total cost” of the resulting portion using amulti-dimensional minimization technique. In this technique, the accentpoints of the reference shapes can be moved relative to the entirereference shape. Alternatively, or in addition, the entire referenceshapes can be moved linearly, rotated, zoomed in or out in size and/orzoomed in one direction. In this manner, a minimum cost or an acceptablecost can be achieved, typically after a discrete number of calculationiterations. This eliminates the need to perform calculations for everypossible reference shape variation.

FIGS. 9A through 9F illustrate iterations of this optimization processas controlled by the processor, wherein four final pieces 108, 110, 112and 114 are placed on a workpiece 116 that is quite irregular in shape.The algorithm used in the cost minimization analysis is capable ofselecting new values for some or all of the control points that definethe reference shape. This reduces the number of analysis iterations thatare needed to arrive at an acceptable solution for the shapes andplacements of the reference shapes on the workpiece. This analysis mustbe carried out very quickly to meet acceptable production goals andschedules, typically well within one second.

After an acceptable and/or optimal combination of shape and indirectlycontrolled physical parameters and specifications is arrived at (seeFIG. 9F), then, at step 138, the portioning system is used to performcutting according to the selected combination for the shape(s).

As discussed above, optimization functions (cost value functions) can beassigned to one or more of the directly controlled shape and/orindirectly controlled physical characteristics (parameters orspecifications) to achieve certain desired end results, for example toobtain the highest yield from the workpiece in terms of utilization ofthe workpiece. Other end goals may include portioning the workpiece toobtain the highest value from the workpiece. In this regard, certainfinal piece shapes and sizes portioned from the workpiece may be morevaluable than others. For example, cutting a section of the workpieceinto the shape of a sandwich portion may be more valuable than cuttingthe same section of the workpiece into the shape of nuggets or strips.Another goal might be to fulfill a customer's order. For example, acustomer may have ordered a certain number of sandwich-shaped portions,a certain number of strip-shaped portions, and a certain number ofnugget-shaped portions. As such, the optimization functions that areapplied to the directly controlled shape and/or indirectly controlledcharacteristics may be designed with this in mind.

Moreover, under the present invention, it is possible to simultaneouslyrun multiple optimization function analyses on the workpiece whenseeking desired end results. Based on such analyses, it may be thatcharacteristics of the most desirable of the various analyses resultswill be chosen, or perhaps the characteristics corresponding to thefirst analysis that results in an acceptable solution may be chosen asthe strategy for portioning the workpiece. As another alternative, thecharacteristics that result in the larger number of end pieces of adesired shape or that provides a desired set of final pieces that meetthe desired shape characteristic(s) might be chosen.

The portioning method and system of the present disclosure also may beoperated with a plurality of optimization function analyses running atthe same time on the workpiece, to quickly meet the shape parameter(s)and the indirectly controlled parameters. For example, one analysis maybe seeking to position two final portions per workpiece, and if anacceptable solution with respect to the final pieces is not achieved,then the workpiece may be analyzed for positioning one final piece onthe workpiece. In reference to FIGS. 9A through 9F, if an acceptablesolution could not be reached to place four final pieces on theworkpiece, then analysis could have been carried out seeking perhaps tolocate three, or even two, final pieces on the workpiece.

Another alternative analysis may be attempting to place two 65 gramfinal pieces on the workpiece or two 105 gram final portions on theworkpiece. Perhaps the two 65 gram portions would result in a low yield(resulting in significant trim or waste), and the 105 gram portions mayresult in a high yield or perhaps the two 105 gram portions would notfit on the workpiece. Thus, different sets of specifications are beingapplied to the workpiece at the same time using different optimizationfunctions.

FIG. 8 shows a portion of a graphical user interface (GUI) 140 that maybe used in conjunction with the present invention. In the GUI of FIG. 8,the column of parameters 142 extending down the left side of the GUI(weight, length, width, angle, etc.) are indirectly controlledparameters that contribute to the cost function. By repeatedly pushingthe touch screen buttons, such as weight button 144, the weight valuetoggles through having a padlock symbol, such as 146 on button 144, nosymbol on button 150, or an “X” symbol 152 on shape conformance button154. The lack of a symbol on button 150 corresponds to the first costfunction described above, the padlock symbol 146 on button 144corresponds to the second function described above, and the “X” symbol152 on button 154 corresponds to the conformance cost function describedabove.

The columns in FIG. 8 labeled low 156 and high 158 contain user-settablevalues of the minimum and maximum value per product specifications ofthe end products. The horizontal lines 166A through 166H, each with atriangular shape disposed thereon, show a short-term average value ofrecent settings so that the user can visualize the process of thepresent invention that is occurring. The actual values being achieved,as well as the set range for the parameters and the weightingcoefficients, can be retained by the processor being utilized, forexample, processor 20, and displayed to the user using a GUI on, forexample, output device 24 or other display, such as a tablet (notshown). This data can be shown in list format or in various graphicalformats that show the distribution of that data over time or over recentwork products. Also, statistical analysis of the data can be carried outand displayed. Such statistical information might include, for example,mean, medium, and standard deviation values. Such information can beanalyzed and displayed to show how well the desired parameters andspecifications are being met as well as what trade-offs are taking placeto arrive at the final pieces portioned from the work product. It willbe appreciated that the foregoing information would be very valuable tohave available during the portioning of work products, including if thevalue, range, and/or importance of one or more directly controlledand/or indirectly controlled parameters are changed.

The rectangularly shaped sliders 168 located under the “Importance”header 170 let the user adjust the weighting coefficients in theoptimization function for individual parameters. The system of thepresent invention seeks to keep the specifications within bounds,particularly for the parameters that are given the greater importance.However, algorithms cannot “create” input portions that do not existgiven the parameters and specifications specified. Thus, for example, ifthe thickness of the workpiece is too thin throughout the entireworkpiece such that within the length and width limits it is notpossible to achieve the desired weight, some other solution will have tobe sought.

In the example of FIG. 8, the Weight parameter is set to be near thecenter of the range (see 166A), but the Length and Width parameters (see166B and 166C) are above the center of their ranges because theworkpiece is too thin. The Weight value is closer to the center of therange than the Length and Width values because Weight was given agreater importance. The shape that is being zoomed and moved about theworkpiece may be specified in terms of shape conformance.

In FIG. 8, specific physical parameters may be considered in portioninga workpiece. Not all of these parameters need be considered in eachinstance that workpieces are being portioned. Also, other sets ofparameters may be used in conjunction with a portioning system ormachine. Also, it is anticipated that the system operator will set thespecification ranges in columns 156 and 158 as well as the weightinglevel (Importance) column 170. Moreover, these settings may be changedquite often, for example, to adjust for changes in the physicalattributes or types of workpieces being processed.

In some situations, such as end portions to be placed in a “family pack”of retail meat packages, there is little desire for close weight controlof the portions. In such an instance, the weight setting along the“Importance line” may be moved all the way to the left, and some otherparameter's importance moved up the scale (to the right).

Another situation with a different need for weight control is when anadaptive slicer follows a portioner. In that situation, the portionercomputer plans for having the slicer bring the weight to the correctlevel so that the importance of the Length and Width parameters wouldincrease and the Weight simply needs to be greater than or equal to thedesired final weight.

The preset invention can also be utilized to optimally position or layout a grid of nuggets on the workpiece, whether at a location on part ofthe workpiece or on the entire workpiece. In this regard, an initialnugget grid can be laid out on the workpiece approximately to thecorrect size to achieve the desired weight and aspect ratio or othershape criteria. The nuggets do not necessarily have to be rectangular inshape, but can be of other shapes, for example, square, triangular,round, etc. A cost function can be applied to the nuggets based onmeeting the desired shape, size, weight, aspect ratio, or other criteriaapplied to the nuggets. With this cost function, the coordinates of thegrid intersections of the nuggets can be varied as the independentvariable, or “directly controlled parameters.” The cost function isdesigned to increase cost as individual nuggets of the grid are out ofspecification. The cost function can be designed to monitor both thetotal cost of the collection of nuggets, and the cost associated witheach nugget. Successive optimization determinations can be made bymovement of the grid pattern about the workpiece. After eachoptimization calculation, the highest cost nugget or nuggets can beidentified and eliminated prior to the next optimization. Such highestcost nugget or nuggets will be located along the outside of the gridpattern. This typically would reduce the number of grid intersectionsand sharpen the focus on the remaining potential nuggets. Also, theconvergence criteria for each of the optimization iterations could berelaxed somewhat to reduce the processing time for each optimizationcalculation. Once all of the nuggets in the grid are within a desiredcost structure, optimization is completed, and the nuggets can be cut.Also, any part of the workpiece that is not to be used as nuggets can becut in a way that is easy for either personnel or machinery to identifysuch trim portions of the workpiece as not being a nugget, so as toeliminate the likelihood that such trim portions will be mixed with goodnuggets.

In the foregoing methodology for optimizing the location of nuggets on aworkpiece, rather than moving the entire grid pattern as a unit, thereference points of individual nuggets could be moved, thereby for eachsuch nugget investigated, determining its aspect ratio, shapeconformance and weight, and other desired specifications, eithersequentially or simultaneously. In this technique, the nuggets of thegrid pattern can vary with respect to other nuggets in size, shape,aspect ratio, weight, etc.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustratedand described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be madetherein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Inthis regard, the steps of the methods described herein can be carriedout in sequences other than specified. Also, one or more of thespecified steps can be deleted or modified from that described herein.Also, other modifications can be made to the methods described herein.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method of automatically portioning a foodproduct into one or more final pieces based on an adjustabletwo-dimensional reference shape plus at least one additional physicalcriteria for the one or more final pieces, comprising: (a) using auser-interface to select or enter a two-dimensional reference shape thatis simultaneously adjustable in both dimensions into which a foodproduct is to be portioned, the adjustable two-dimensional referenceshape being defined by an outline of the reference shape; (b) permittinga user to optionally edit the adjustable two-dimensional reference shapein one or both dimensions by using the user-interface to move theoutline of the adjustable two-dimensional reference shape to result in achange of the shape of the reference shape; (c) retaining datapertaining to the adjustable two-dimensional reference shape in computermemory; (d) selecting at least one additional physical criteria, inaddition to the adjustable two-dimensional reference shape, used toportion the food product into one or more final pieces, said at leastone additional physical criteria selected from the group consisting of:the weight of the final piece; the maximum weight of the final piece;the minimum weight of the final piece; the length of the final piece;the maximum length of the final piece; the minimum length of the finalpiece; the width of the final piece, the maximum width of the finalpiece; the minimum width of the final piece; the height of the finalpiece; the maximum height of the final piece, the minimum height of thefinal piece, the thickness of the final piece, the maximum thickness ofthe final piece; the minimum thickness of the final piece; (e)determining a cut path to portion the food product into one or morefinal pieces having the adjustable two-dimensional reference shape asretained in the computer memory and as optionally edited by the user andmeeting the at least one additional selected physical criteria of theone or more final pieces; and (f) portioning the food product into oneor more final pieces according to the determined cut path.
 2. The methodof claim 1, comprising changing the shape of the adjustabletwo-dimensional reference shape by a technique selected from the groupconsisting of: (a) selecting one or more locations along thetwo-dimensional outline of the adjustable two-dimensional referenceshape and using the user-interface system to move the one or moreselected locations to a new location, thereby to edit the shape of theadjustable two-dimensional reference shape; and (b) selecting one ormore of locations along the outline of the adjustable two-dimensionalreference shape and using the user-interface to specify new locationsfor said one or more selected locations along the outline of theadjustable two-dimensional reference shape, thereby to edit the shape ofthe adjustable two-dimensional reference shape.
 3. The method of claim1, wherein the user-interface system comprises a scanner system, andstep (a) comprises scanning in the adjustable two-dimensional referenceshape using the scanner system.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein theuser using the user-interface system selects the adjustabletwo-dimensional reference shape from a library of reference shapes. 5.The method of claim 1, wherein the user-interface system is configuredto allow a user to draw an outline of the adjustable two-dimensionalreference shape.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-interfacesystem is configured to allow a user to enter the X and Y coordinatelocations along an outline of the adjustable two-dimensional referenceshape in X-Y space.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) ofdetermining a cut path comprises scaling up or down the size of theadjustable two-dimensional reference shape on a food product whilemaintaining the shape of the adjustable two-dimensional reference shapeuntil a predetermined weight or weight range for the portioned foodproduct is achieved.
 8. A system for automatically portioning a foodproduct into one or more final pieces based on an adjustabletwo-dimensional reference shape and at least one additional physicalcriteria of the one or more final pieces, comprising: a cutter forportioning the food product; and a processor coupled to the cutter, theprocessor operatingly connected to a memory and a user interface system,and controlled by computer-executable instructions for performing thesteps of: (a) permitting a user using the user interface system to enteror select an adjustable two-dimensional reference shape that issimultaneously adjustable in both dimensions into which a food productis to be portioned, (b) permitting a user to optionally edit theadjustable two-dimensional reference shape by manipulating an outline ofthe adjustable two-dimensional reference shape in one of bothdimensions, thereby to change the shape of the adjustabletwo-dimensional reference shape, (c) recording the user entered, andoptionally user edited, adjustable two-dimensional reference shape inthe memory; (d) selecting at least one additional physical criteria forthe one or more final pieces in addition to the adjustabletwo-dimensional reference shape used to portion the food product intoone or more final pieces selected from the group consisting of: theweight of the final piece; the maximum weight of the final piece; theminimum weight of the final piece; the length of the final piece; themaximum length of the final piece; the minimum length of the finalpiece; the width of the final piece, the maximum width of the finalpiece; the minimum width of the final piece; the height of the finalpiece; the maximum height of the final piece, the minimum height of thefinal piece, the thickness of the final piece, the maximum thickness ofthe final piece; the minimum thickness of the final piece; (e)determining a cut path to portion the food product into one or morefinal pieces having the adjustable two-dimensional reference shape asrecorded in the memory and as optionally edited by the user and meetingthe at least one additional selected physical criteria of the one ormore final pieces in addition to the adjustable two-dimensionalreference shape used to portion the food product; and (f) controllingthe cutter to portion the food product according to the determined cutpath.
 9. The system of claim 8, permitting the user to alter theadjustable two-dimensional reference shape, by a technique selected fromthe group consisting of: (a) selecting one or more locations along theoutline of the adjustable two-dimensional reference shape and using theuser-interface system to move the one or more specified locations alongthe outline to a new location, thereby to edit the shape of theadjustable two-dimensional reference shape; and (b) selecting one ormore locations along the outline of the adjustable two-dimensionalreference shape and using the user-interface system to specify newlocations for said one or more selected locations thereby to edit theshape of the adjustable two-dimensional reference shape.
 10. The systemof claim 8, wherein the user-interface system comprises a scannersystem, and step (a) comprises scanning in an adjustable two-dimensionalreference shape using the scanner system.
 11. The system of claim 8,wherein the user using the user-interface system selects an adjustabletwo-dimensional reference shape from a library of reference shapes. 12.The system of claim 8, wherein the user-interface device is configuredto allow a user to draw an outline of the adjustable two-dimensionalreference shape.
 13. The system of claim 8, wherein the user-interfacedevice is configured to allow a user to enter the X and Y coordinatelocations along the outline of the adjustable two-dimensional referenceshape in X-Y space.
 14. The system of claim 8, further comprisingscaling up or down the size of the adjustable two-dimensional referenceshape on a food product while maintaining the shape of the adjustabletwo-dimensional reference shape until a predetermined weight or weightrange for the portioned food product is achieved.
 15. A non-transitorycomputer-readable medium including computer-executable instructions forportioning a food product into one or more final pieces based on anadjustable two-dimensional reference shape and at least one additionalphysical parameter of the one or more final pieces, said instructionswhich, when loaded onto a computer cause the computer to perform thesteps comprising: (a) permitting a user to enter via a user-interfacesystem, entering or selecting a two-dimensional reference shape that issimultaneously adjustable in both dimensions into which a food productis to be portioned; (b) permitting a user to optionally edit theadjustable two-dimensional reference shape in one or both dimensions,thereby to change the shape of the two-dimensional reference shape; (c)selecting at least one additional physical parameter of the one or morefinal pieces in addition to the adjustable two-dimensional referenceshape used to portion a food product into one or more final piecesselected from the group consisting of: the weight of the final piece;the maximum weight of the final piece; the minimum weight of the finalpiece; the length of the final piece; the maximum length of the finalpiece; the minimum length of the final piece; the width of the finalpiece, the maximum width of the final piece; the minimum width of thefinal piece; the height of the final piece; the maximum height of thefinal piece, the minimum height of the final piece, the thickness of thefinal piece, the maximum thickness of the final piece; the minimumthickness of the final piece; and (d) determining a cut path to portionthe food product into one or more pieces having the adjustabletwo-dimensional reference shape as optionally edited by the user andmeeting the at least one additional selected physical parameter of theone or more final pieces.
 16. The computer-readable medium according toclaim 15, wherein permitting a user to optionally edit the adjustabletwo-dimensional reference shape by a technique selected from the groupconsisting of: (a) selecting one or more locations along an outline ofthe adjustable two-dimensional reference shape and using theuser-interface system to move the one or more specified locations to anew location on the output display, thereby to edit the shape of theadjustable two-dimensional reference shape; and (b) selecting one ormore locations along the outline of the adjustable two-dimensionalreference shape and using the user-interface system to specify newlocations for the one or more selected locations thereby to edit theshape of the adjustable two-dimensional reference shape.
 17. Thecomputer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein step (a) comprisesscanning in the adjustable two-dimensional reference shape using ascanner system.
 18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, whereinthe user using the user-interface system selects an adjustabletwo-dimensional reference shape from a library of reference shapes. 19.The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein step (a) comprisesusing the user-interface system to draw an outline of the adjustabletwo-dimensional reference shape.
 20. The computer-readable medium ofclaim 15, wherein said instructions cause the computer to scale up ordown the size of the adjustable two-dimensional reference shape on afood product while maintaining the shape of the adjustabletwo-dimensional reference shape until a predetermined weight or weightrange for the portioned food product is achieved.